How the Crystal Gems came to be
by nicosnowangelo
Summary: This fic is just a collection of my ideas on how Rose met each of the Crystal Gems, and how the group began to identify as a single unit. There isn't really any set plan, but it will just go as my fancy takes it. The title will likely change, but it is pretty straightforward.
**Hey folks. I wrote this, like, 7 billion years ago, and I barely proofread it. I don't really have an end goal in mind, but I had some idea at the time that I may go along with. We'll see. I really appreciate you taking the time to click through here. I'd appreciate any comments, and apologize for any errors in here. Thanks!**

"How is progress?"

"Advancing as scheduled."

Of course it was. Rose Quartz Facet 7M4A Cut 4SU had been Pink Diamond's Director of Colonization for centuries. Known for her efficiency and tact in dealing with each step of the colonization process, she was frequently the first gem assigned to deal with the preliminary stages of investigation and construction. Of every structure, the Kindergarten was by the far the most difficult to establish, but this particular rose quartz, infinitely more gentle than her counterparts, though not by any means weak or even merciful, had a way of reassuring her troops into calm and effortless completion. Perhaps her capabilities in this regard were defective by the standards of her kind, but as she quickly proved, her tactful compassion often came in handy.

More often, though, when she was at home, she had difficulty reigning it in and adjusting to the conventions of her planet. Her close companion, Rose Quartz Facet 7M4A Cut 3SU, aptly dubbed her "Dreamy". The nickname, which was rare as far as nicknames go on Homeworld, stuck. Dreamy, in turn, called her friend - if Homeworld had such a concept - "Giver" (as in, "Name Giver"). Giver, a more standard rose quartz, though rather annoyed sometimes by the famous Director of Colonization, did not, in truth, mind Dreamy's company. They had known each other from the start, having emerged right next to each other, and were often assigned to the same missions.

At the moment, Dreamy was gesturing towards a projection which displayed the planet's current state. Much of the life - organic life, as the Diamond Authority noted with some distaste - still existed, undisturbed as of yet; the planet was still overgrown with vegetation and miniscule carbon-based life forms. But the Kindergartens would quickly take care of that. As it was, the construction third Kindergarten was well under way. Giver nodded in approval at the screen.

"Our Diamond will be pleased. Well done, Dreamy".

Dreamy nodded in agreement. She hesitated a little before murmuring something.

"I'm a little sad, though", she admitted. "I've colonized countless planetoids, but out of all of them, this is the first with organic life. It would be nice if perhaps we could leave it be - for the moment, at least - and study it further. Think of the potential!" She did not care to say that she secretly preferred the organic life to Homeworld's idea of an existence; she liked the variety and the independence of each creature on that planet, if fragile and temporary. But such talk was considered treasonous, so on that point, she did not make her opinion known. Giver scoffed.

"That rock is small and insignificant. I doubt we could get anything useful from it. And Pink Diamond would be inclined to agree with me."

Dreamy did not reply. She shrugged in resignation. There would be no point in continuing this argument.

At that moment, a ping echoed through the chamber. Giver frowned in irritation as she pressed a button on the control pad in front of her.

The screen shimmered and morphed until it displayed the face of a pale white gem. Her hair was layered, arranged in translucent white sheets that appeared a more opaque white when overlapped. Her eyes were pale blue, nearly white if one wasn't looking at them too closely. Her neck was bowed in a gesture of greeting and respect, and she wore an expression of humility.

"State your name", came Giver's gruff order.

"Albite Facet 3M4C Cut 9WD". The gem, though working hard to appear calm, had a hint of a quiver in her voice. She was apparently new to her role as messenger; most albites were able to withstand the worst insults from those they delivered messages to.

"You're interrupting an important meeting", Giver growled. "This had better not be a waste of time."

"My apologies, my quartz", the albite said, her voice small.

"Please", said Dreamy, shooting her companion a side-glance of disapproval, "tell us what message you have for us and who sends it. I'm sure it's very important."

"The message comes from White Diamond".

The demeanors of the two quartz gems changed immediately. Their backs straightened, and they became more attentive. A direct message from White Diamond? This was no matter to take lightly.

"It is directed towards the other Diamonds and their respective Directors of Colonization."

"What does she wish?"

"She wishes to present her official Court Dancer."

The albite, clearly inexperienced, seemed to be growing more nervous as she continued to stare into the eyes of the quartzes before her. Still, she managed to keep her cool.

"As you may know, my Diamond is quite fond of dancing, and as such, each of her pearls is designed specifically for that purpose. Nineteen rotations ago, she ordered a new pearl, and is enchanted with it. In the words of my Diamond herself, this latest pearl performs with impeccable technique, and is the most aesthetically pleasing dancer she has ever had the pleasure of viewing. Therefore, she has named it the Court Dancer, and wishes to present it to her counterparts and their highest-ranking gems."

Dreamy pondered this. Such an invitation was a great honor. It was well-known that White Diamond prided her pearls on being the most graceful of all pearls. Each one was ordered and observed with the highest degree of discrimination. If the Diamond perceived any minor flaw in the way a pearl moved, that pearl wasn't around for much longer. So for one of these pearls to be singled out as the best, and to be titled thus… that meant a lot, Dreamy decided. It meant even more if White Diamond wished for the other Diamonds to see it. There was no way an offer like this - likely a rare one - could be turned down.

It appeared as though the other invitees felt the same way, for on the day of the special presentation, held in White Diamond's public ballroom, an excited tension filled the atmosphere. The ballroom had been spruced up for the event, with the floors polished until they gleamed. Pearls stood at regular intervals along the walls of the room in such a way that was perfectly symmetrical and pleasing to the eye. Each pearl looked exactly the same: pure white skin, a smooth circular gem on its forehead, silver ringlets falling lightly around its shoulders. They wore solid white knee-length dresses, sleeveless and without any folds or creases, suitable for any sort of rigorous movements. Standing, on the toes of their shoed-feet, their bodies erect and arms held at same distance out to their sides, they looked ready to leap into dance at any moment.

As Rose Quartz entered with her Diamond, she wondered which one of these pearls was the Court Dancer. They were identical, so it was impossible to tell.

Pink Diamond sat to the right of Yellow Diamond who gave a characteristically bored nod as greeting. On the other side of Yellow Diamond was Blue Diamond, who did not move, save for a raised hand to acknowledge Pink Diamond's presence. Pink Diamond, talkative by nature, greeted her counterparts loudly and respectfully. Their Directors of Colonization sat separately, with Rose Quartz in between Hawk's Eye and Citrine, who belonged to Blue and Yellow Diamond respectively. The only gems missing were, of course, Milky Quartz and White Diamond. As the hosts, they had their own seats on the head of the ballroom, facing their guests.

It was perhaps a good thing Rose Quartz acted as a sort of barrier for Hawk's Eye and Citrine. The two had an... interesting relationship: sometimes at each other's throats, other times effectively invisible to each other, and at yet other times inseparably close. If Homeworld was open about such a concept, Rose would be tempted to say that they had a strange sort of tumultuous romantic affair in the works. Right now, it seemed as though they were going through an "I-am-angry-so-I-will-pretend-you-don't-exist" phase.

Thankfully, they were companionable enough with Rose. To her left, Citrine smiled at her. Her skin was a pure light yellow, and her orange eyes shone as if they contained flames. A single golden braid hung behind her, reaching all the way to her wide hips. In Rose's experience, citrines tended to be more tranquil and approachable than most gems. This one was no exception, so Rose easily returned the smile. Not so with the dark blue-skinned Hawk's Eye. Light orange and greenish-gray streaks marked their way across her melancholy eyes and muscled arms. Her long wavy hair was so deeply blue it could have been black. Like all gems of her strong-willed and loyal kind, she was temperamental and easily angered. Not one for unproductive chitchat, her response to Rose saying her name was a mere grunt. When Citrine questioned Rose about her latest conquests for the Empire, Hawk's Eye didn't join in.

All conversations died down when White Diamond and Milky Quartz entered. Around the same height as the other Diamonds, White Diamond was an imposing and immaculate sight. Not a single hair out of place, Rose noted. In contrast, her own pink hair was difficult to tame, even when tied back in a bun. Milky Quartz herself appeared every bit as regal and proud as her master. The cloudy white gem's self-assurance was apparent in each step she took. Both took their places in front of their guests, greeting them sociably.

Following both these high-ranking officials were two pearls. The first appeared the same as the other pearls who were placed around the room. But the other…

Hawk's Eye surprised Rose by speaking; she muttered a curse under her breath when she saw the pearl. Though her words were barely audible, the anger and confusion behind them were apparent. Citrine's fiery eyes widened. The Diamonds appeared uneasy. Yellow Diamond sat up a little straighter, Pink Diamond let her jaw drop, and Blue Diamond clenched her fists.

Rose herself was shocked. The second pearl was clearly defective. Her gem was misshapen, ovular rather than round. To see a gem as meticulous as White Diamond toting around something imperfect was baffling, to say the least. How could a pearl-manufacturer think it acceptable to ship a defective pearl to anyone, let alone a Diamond? Who wouldn't reject it on sight? Rose could not imagine what made White Diamond demonstrate enough mercy to keep it.

Its skin, tinged with a hint of pink rather than completely white, was exposed to a greater extent than the skin of the other pearls; it was certainly dressed more provocatively. it wore a skimpy leotard with a plunging neckline and no back. Over it, it wore a see-through single-layered tutu that fell loosely over its tiny thighs and was ornamented with ruffles. As such, its limbs, shoulders, and back were completely bare. Her short straight hair, a mix between pink and orange, was out of its face, tapering in a point behind its head.

But its appearance wasn't the most unusual thing about it. There was something about the way it carried herself that filled the room with a tense buzz. It had an unexpected… _intelligence_ in its expression, something not found in other pearls. A pearl wasn't made to be smart; it was made to look good enough decorate a space or even another gem. This pearl didn't seem like it could be used as a mere ornament, though. Its aura suggested a sort of determination and intense focus unprecedented in any pearl. When it took a step, it took it with a powerful grace. It seemed confident almost to a degree of irreverence.

In all respects, it was out of place.

A sudden thought seemed to occur to each guest at the same time: was this the pearl who had been named Official Court Dancer?

The restlessness of the audience did nothing to faze the pearl, however. Indeed, its eyes were fixed upon White Diamond, who raised a hand. An anticipatory silence fell upon the assembly. After a brief welcome and thanks, the Diamond took her seat, Milky Quartz in tow.

The Pearl made its way to the center of the ballroom floor with a careful and deliberate sense of purpose. It curtsied once to her Diamond, then turned and did the same to the others. For a moment, Rose imagined it made direct eye contact with her. Its eyes were fierce and passionate. They seemed so… alive. So real. So much like a true gem's. Rose shivered. The pearl's facial expression did not change, so Rose wondered if her excitement was simply getting the better of her. Still, something warm and inexplicable began to well up within Rose Quartz as her gaze followed the pearl, tracing each line and curve of its bare back.

The other pearl which had followed White Diamond - the normal pearl - stood and began to clap a rhythm. In retrospect, it was nothing remarkable, but the dance of the defective pearl transformed the simple clapping into something hypnotic and entrancing.

Several words could describe the dance. Graceful, beautiful, virtuosic, sensual, even confidential, as if the pearl was sharing a secret with each spectator.

But none could capture that feeling Rose felt as she watched it. She was bewitched. The warm feeling inside her centralized itself in her lower torso, and steadily grew more heated until it became somewhat uncomfortable. Still, it was pleasurable and invigorating, whatever it was. The sensation practically lured her into the pearl's winding feet, the fluid arms, the punctual leaps and spins.

The pearl ended with a crouch. Its entire back was visible to the audience in that pose, and Rose once again found her eyes drawn to it.

There was a shocked silence. Suddenly Blue Diamond stood and brought her hands together in thunderous applause. The rest of the gems followed suit. If there was any jealousy on the part of the other Diamonds, it didn't show. They were quick to shower their praises on a rather smug-looking White Diamond. Suddenly the defect didn't matter. Even Citrine and Hawk's Eye - who seemed to have gotten over whatever spat they had been in - stared at each wondrously. But Rose didn't truly notice. She was focused on that warmth within her; it was beginning to die down, but it did not subside. She couldn't stop staring at the pearl, whose expression did not change save for a hint of a sly smile in its glittering eyes.

When Rose felt the wetness on her cheek, she realized that she had been crying.


End file.
